Megachurch Pastor and Ex-Trump Adviser Admits Guilt to Sexual Abuse of a Minor
The head of among the biggest large congregations in the US, Robert Morris, has admitted guilt to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Oklahoma during the 1980s period.
The pastor, sixty-four, entered a guilty plea on that day in the local court on multiple charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but as part of a plea deal will only serve six months in local jail.
He will register as a sex offender and be required to pay a quarter million dollars in compensation.
Context of the Legal Matter
The former minister established the church in Southlake, Texas. He grew it into among the ten biggest megachurches in the United States, with over twenty-five thousand visitors weekly.
The victim, fifty-five, the woman who came forward as the survivor of Morris’s sexual abuse, was present in the courtroom as he admitted his guilt. In a prepared statement she stated: “There is no such thing as consent from a child of twelve. We were not involved in any improper relationship. I was not a young woman but a minor. You performed a criminal act against me.”
Her sister a family member also made a declaration, saying: “You acted as if you were righteous, speaking from large platforms. As you concealed your true self, we’ve known you are simply a predator.”
Morris resigned from the congregation last year after Clemishire made her story known. She had spent years seeking justice for the abuse.
Details of the Abuse
The molestation started in 1982 when Morris, at age twenty-one, was a itinerant preacher. He was a guest of Clemishire’s family in their residence, where he asked the girl into his bedroom.
The abuse persisted for the next four-year period.
A leaked transcript of a phone call revealed that in 2005, the pastor attempted to pay off the victim into not speaking out, telling her to “name your price”.
Downfall and Connections
Morris’s conviction marks a remarkable fall for the minister. At his peak, he authored several bestselling books and his teachings were broadcast around the world.
He also became a spiritual adviser to the former president. He joined the White House spiritual advisory committee during the initial Trump administration and was involved in an effort to organize evangelical voters for him in the recent election.
The former president also attended the church in 2020 where he commended Morris and his leadership as “great people with a stellar reputation”.
